lorrainethompson's posterous

If you live in or near NYC, hurry to see Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, a spectacular exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum, before the show closes August 7.

The retrospective showcases McQueen’s core pieces, from his student days at London’s Central Saint Martins in the 90s, to his posthumous 2010 collection. Tragically, McQueen took his own life in March 2010, just days before his final show.

Walking into Savage Beauty is like descending into a dark,decaying, and lavishly appointed dungeon. Theatrical lights and gels, wind fans, multiple video screens, holograms and sound effects—including Handel’s Sarabande and wolf howls—immerse visitors in McQueen’s dark, romantic,controlled narrative. McQueen’s sartorial story themes include 19th century Romanticism, Victorian Goth, the Jacobite Rebellion and a dark futurism that imagines human “devolution” and its “time-space compression produced by the Internet.”

The Highland-inspired pieces are amongst McQueen’s most iconic. The designer’s family come from Skye and the island’s wild beauty—and decimation by 19th century British “clearances”—are embodied in…

• McQueen tartan form-fitting sheath with neckline and bodice of nude silk tulle embroidered with garnet-like red bugle beads.
• McQueen clan tartan kilt with off-white silk tulle underskirt and skin-colored silk bodice embroidered in black

Other astonishing pieces in the show: 

• Billowing black silk, Venetian carnival opera coat (See photo above)
• Peau de soie gown sewn with silk and real flowers—worn while blooms were fresh and later, after they'd decayed. (See photo above)
• Shaun Leane vermeil crown of thorns and winding, attached thorn arm piece
• Dai Rees head piece of gilded in silver porcupine quills that cover the face like an asymmetrical fencing mask

On a dark night,
Kindled in love with yearnings--oh, happy chance!--
I went forth without being observed,
My house being now at rest.

In darkness and secure,
By the secret ladder, disguised--oh, happy chance!--
In darkness and in concealment,
My house being now at rest.

In the happy night,
In secret, when none saw me,
Nor I beheld aught,
Without light or guide, save that which burned in my
heart.

This light guided me
More surely than the light of noonday
To the place where he (well I knew who!) was awaiting me--
A place where none appeared.

Oh, night that guided me,
Oh, night more lovely than the dawn,
Oh, night that joined Beloved with lover,
Lover transformed in the Beloved!

Upon my flowery breast,
Kept wholly for himself alone,
There he stayed sleeping, and I caressed him,
And the fanning of the cedars made a breeze.

The breeze blew from the turret
As I parted his locks;
With his gentle hand he wounded my neck
And caused all my senses to be suspended.

I remained, lost in oblivion;
My face I reclined on the Beloved.
All ceased and I abandoned myself,
Leaving my cares forgotten among the lilies

.

~ St. John Of the Cross

Fred Sanders is directing the reading at Interact Theater Company in North Hollywood. If you are in Los Angeles, please come. Admission is FREE. Here are the particulars:

In Securities
"What some people will do to cover their assets..."

Written by
by Fred Sanders and Lorraine Thompson
conceived by
Douglas Capozzalo
sponsored by
Fred Sanders
directed by
Fred Sanders
cast
Ramon DeOcampo, Jessica Evans, John Hemphill, Colin Thomas Jennings, Michael Manuel, Tracy Powell, Vanessa Whitney, and more!

A farce on Wall Street in the late 80s, with overambitious bike messengers, mistaken identities, stock fraud, Latin American gunrunning, missed dance auditions, CIA skullduggery, hocked engagement rings, and an ominous office temp named Nuclear Winter...

When: March 14th @ 7:30pm

Where: The NoHo Arts Center
Theater 2
1136 Magnolia Boulevard
North Hollywood, CA

FREE Admission.

For more information on our readings and shows please visit Interact Theatre Company's website, or call 818-765-8732.

December, 2010, North Pole–Quick word association: When you think of the North Pole, what one word comes to mind?

Snow? Ice? Santa?

“Stress,” said Ian Elfin, a line worker at Kris Kringle Hand-Crafted Toys located in the world’s northernmost clime. “From Black Friday on,” said Elfin, who agreed to answer a blogger’s questions as the worker hammered a toy train, “it gets out of control up here.”

“I got a knot between my shoulders this big,” said Elfin, raising a hammer-clenched fist and slamming it down on a row of rivets.

According to Elfin, Kris Kringle currently operates at full production. “We’re going 24/7 on three consecutive shifts. But bottom line?” said Elfin, pausing for a sip of peppermint tea, “We need help. That’s why we’re reaching out to Joe Q. Public.”

Global warming and economic downturn slow toy flow to Big Apple

In an unusual show of solidarity, management and rank-and-file workers at the venerable Kris Kringle factory agree: The enterprise cannot meet worldwide demand for toys.

“Global warming’s slaying us,” said Trevor MacFey, Kris Kringle’s Digital Community Manager. “It slows our production. Duh. We’re at the freaking North Pole.”

“Then the economy,” said Elfin. “It grabbed us by the—”

“Throat,” said MacFey. “Time was, kids’ parents could help out. That was then. But now?”

“Forget about it,” said Elfin.

The shortages may be most keenly felt in New York City where the gulf between the US’ greediest and neediest continues to widen. 

Operation Santa: Hidden in plain sight of New Yorkers for almost 100 years

A contingency plan for NYC families has been in place for some time: Operation Santa, a service staffed by clerks at New York’s James A. Farley Post Office on 8th Avenue and 33rd Street. Supported by volunteers, Operation Santa has supplied toys, clothes and good cheer to kids from strapped families for close to a century.

Because of record demand, the normally secretive Kris Kringle staff agreed to throw open the doors of their private works and reveal inside details on Operation Santa.

“I’m ready to spill the beans,” said Elfin. “Just so’s we don’t disappoint the kids. Damn snowflakes,” he said, wiping his eyes.

Here’s what a blogger learned.

Inside the Miracle on 33rd Street: New York City’s Operation Santa

Blogger: What is Operation Santa?
MacFey: Operation Santa started in 1912 as a joint venture between Kris Kringle’s  CEO, Santa Claus, and New York City postal workers.
Elfin: Kids were sending letters to “the North Pole.” The postal clerks started reading and answering the letters. Then some of the workers chipped in and bought presents for the kids.
Blogger: How many letters does the New York P.O. get?
MacFey. It started small, but it ballooned. In 1980 the New York Post Office received around 5,000 letters. In 1998, the number grew to 150,000. Today, New York postal workers sort and read 500,000 letters each Christmas.
Elfin: Every December, it’s like, ‘Boom!’
Blogger: Who runs Operation Santa?
Elfin: New York USPS clerks still run the deal on the side.
MacFey: But with 500,000 letters, they’re overwhelmed. It’s too much.
Elfin: Tell me about it. Try making 500,000 toy trains on the graveyard shift.
Blogger: How can the public help?
Elfin: Take the A, C or E to 34th Street—
MacFey: Come to the Post Office’s James A. Farley building on 8th Avenue and 33rd  Street—
Elfin: Like I said. Across from the Garden. Head in, read the kids’ letters—
MacFey: Select a family for whom you can buy presents. Some kids don’t even want toys. They ask for clothes.
Blogger. Where can people learn more about Operation Santa?
Elfin: I ain’t easy getting the lowdown. The old elf—
MacFey: Mr. Claus, Kris Kringle’s founder—
Elfin: Like I said. He ain’t on Facebook or nothing.
MacFey: Our digital platforms are pathetic. Operation Santa has no SEO. Zero, zip, zilch, nada. Maybe your blog can help us out?

Don’t miss your chance to aid an elf—and a NYC kid.

Given the dearth of online information about Operation Santa—and the pressing need—Elfin and McFey agreed to explain the program’s nuts and bolts to a blogger: New York City’s Operation Santa: The Miracle on 33rd Street Needs Your Help.

Interested in being part of the Miracle on 33rd Street? Hurry. Postal workers stop mailing packages at the end of the day on December 23, 2010.

 “I think your blog readers will find it truly is better to give than to receive,” said MacFey.

“Yeah,” said Elfin, rubbing another snowflake from his eye. “Freakin’ A."

Operation Santa was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal. For historical information on Operation Santa, visit OperationLetterToSanta.com.

It has all the makings of a classic Hollywood movie: It’s Christmas, 1912, in Manhattan’s busiest post office. Behind the counters, overworked clerks grumble as they sort undeliverable letters. The envelopes are addressed to “Santa Claus” or “North Pole.”

They read the letters—many written by kids from strapped NYC families. Moved by the children’s hope and faith, the clerks write back. They take up a collection and buy gifts.

Next year, they do the same thing. The clerks call this labor of love Operation Santa.

Fast forward 100 years. Through the Depression, World War II and 9/11, New York’s Operation Santa endures. During The Great Recession, the trickle of letters turns into a flood: Now NYC postal clerks read more than 500,000 letters.  Amazingly today’s children are as filled with hope and faith as kids a century ago. And families are more strapped than ever.

If this were a movie, a Christmas miracle would occur right now.

But it’s not a movie. The story needs you to provide the miracle. 

Help a NYC kid—and discover the real meaning of Christmas.

Want to feel genuine, can’t-fake-it holiday warmth, wonder and gratitude? Participate in New York City’s Operation Santa.

You can learn more about Operation Santa in my post, New York’s Operation Santa: Help an Elf—and a NYC Kid.  The Wall Street Journal also covered Operation Santa.

Or you can jump in and start helping right now. But hurry. New York postal clerks stop mailing packages at the end of the day, December 23, 2010.

Elf Help: A 12-Step Guide to New York’s Operation Santa

Operation Santa stands out from other holiday charities in its call for your hands-on participation. Here’s how it works…

1. Visit Operation Santa at the James A. Farley Post Office lobby’s north corner at 8th Avenue and 33rd Street. Hours are:
•    Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
•    Thursday from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

2. Bring proper ID. A clerk will ask you to fill in a short form with your name and address. You’ll also need to show valid identification.

3. Set aside time: You’ll want to read letters in a leisurely fashion to get a feel for the families who send them. My son and I read 30 letters before finding one that  “spoke” to us.

4. Bring a smart phone, if possible, with a browser so you can search for toys and pricing. A smart phone browser helps you avoid going home with a letter and belatedly learning the toy kitchen set costs $300. That said, keep in mind you are under no obligation to buy anything, even if you do take the letter home. If you discover you can’t or don’t want to send presents, simply return your letter to the post office.

5. Bring your children. Operation Santa is a wonderful family activity. You can read the letters with your children, let them discover how others live and get their help in choosing the family for whom you’ll provide.

6. Bring Kleenex. You will want to cry when you read some of the letters. Sisters and brothers write of ill or disabled siblings, unemployed parents and other heartbreaking circumstances no kid should have to endure. But ultimately, the kids’ strength, courage and love of family will inspire you.

7. Choose the right letter. If you’re like many, you may feel put off by the chld who lists 35 expensive items, including an iPad, Xbox and Call of Duty Black Ops game. Keep looking. Soon enough you’ll stumble on the boy or girl who asks only for the kind of presents you want to give—and can afford. So you need to…

8. Be realistic about your budget. You may want to help that single mother with five kids. Her need is so great. She and her children deserve everything she’s asking for. But if you can’t afford to provide for her brood, leave the letter. Maybe someone else can. Read more letters. You’ll find a family that’s right for you, no matter what your budget.

9. Take the letter home and keep it in a safe place. To protect families’ privacy, names and places are blacked out of letters. Each letter is assigned a number. Don’t lose it. You’ll need the letter when you bring your gift back to Operation Santa for mailing.

10. Buy and wrap the presents with your kids’ help. As you choose and purchase presents, you'll find yourself discussing many important issues: The economy, government programs, families, poverty, justice, love of family. Your sense of powerlessness starts to shift.  You'll feel good about being able to help your neighbors—and being helped by them.

11. Bring your gifts back to Operation Santa for mailing as quickly as you can. Pack the presents in a sturdy mailing box and bring them to Operation Santa at the James A. Farley Post Office. Give the clerk your letter. She’ll match its number with the child who sent the letter. You will need to pay for postage.

12. Bask in peace, happiness and gratitude, thanks to the child or children you just gifted.

Give us an elf’s eye view of Operation Santa

If you completed the above 12 steps, chances are you’re feeling pretty chuffed right now. Tell me about it. Share your Operation Santa experience in the comments.

Operation Santa was recently featured in The Wall Street Journal. For historical information on Operation Santa, visit OperationLetterToSanta.com.

Photo courtesy of s_herman.

Twelve-year old girls can change the world. But not without our help. That's the message of this powerful animated video

The Girl Effect's bouncy cello musical score jogs us along as we follow a young Everygirl growing up in a developing country. You'll be awed by the artistry and power of its animation that moves you from delight to fear to grief and, finally, to relief and hope.